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MLB Power Rankings post-All-Star Break: Atlanta Braves and everyone else … again

ByScott Roche|
Sep 17, 2022; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Baltimore Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman (35) gestures to team mates after hitting a single against the Toronto Blue Jays in the fourth inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 17, 2022; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Baltimore Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman (35) gestures to team mates after hitting a single against the Toronto Blue Jays in the fourth inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports

The All-Star break is over and the second half of the 2023 MLB season is underway after the post-break weekend series’. Several teams began the second half scrambling to try and get back into the playoff hunt with the trade deadline just two weeks away.

Before the break, the Atlanta Braves were playing good baseball and, despite dropping two out of three over the weekend at home to the Chicago White Sox, they still firmly hold the top spot in our most recent MLB power rankings. They will remain on top of this week’s power rankings and they are still separating themselves further from the rest of the other 29 teams. Give the White Sox credit where credit is due, not many people had them winning this series over the surging Braves.

There was some movement from the last rankings before the break, both up and down. The Los Angeles Angels are feeling the effect of losing Mike Trout with a wrist injury on July 3 that required surgery. By the time they get their All-Star center fielder back, they are going to most likely have to be sellers at the MLB trade deadline, with the one player all teams would be interested in acquiring in Shohei Ohtani. Will they move their star hitter and pitcher? That remains to be seen, but they will more than likely have the phones at their front office ringing off the hook.

The Boston Red Sox have moved up to the middle of the pack and cracked the top 10 after winning five of six before the break, then taking two out of three from the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field.

The New York Mets start the bottom third of the rankings and they are quickly becoming either sellers or they are going to stand pat the deadline. Losing two of three to the Los Angeles Dodgers at home over the weekend feels like it sealed their fate.

It’s time to dive into the latest power rankings, the first since the All-Star break.

  1. Atlanta Braves (last week: 1)
  2. Baltimore Orioles (last week: 4)
  3. Los Angeles Dodgers (last week: 9)
  4. Texas Rangers (last week: 3)
  5. Tampa Bay Rays (last week: 2)
  6. San Francisco Giants (last week: 7)
  7. Miami Marlins (last week: 6)
  8. Toronto Blue Jays (last week: 17)
  9. Boston Red Sox (last week: 15)
  10. Houston Astros (last week: 10)
  11. Milwaukee Brewers (last week: 13)
  12. Arizona Diamondbacks (last week: 5)
  13. Cincinnati Reds (last week: 8)
  14. Philadelphia Phillies (last week: 14)
  15. New York Yankees (last week: 11)
  16. San Diego Padres (last week: 20)
  17. Minnesota Twins (last week: 16)
  18. Seattle Mariners (last week: 19)
  19. Cleveland Guardians (last week: 18)
  20. New York Mets (last week: 23)
  21. Los Angeles Angels (last week: 12)
  22. Chicago Cubs (last week: 22)
  23. Pittsburgh Pirates (last week: 21)
  24. Detroit Tigers (last week: 27)
  25. Chicago White Sox (last week: 24)
  26. St. Louis Cardinals (last week: 25)
  27. Washington Nationals (last week: 26)
  28. Colorado Rockies (last week: 28)
  29. Kansas City Royals (last week: 29)
  30. Oakland Athletics (last week: 30)

The final two weeks before August 1 are going to be big for a lot of teams and should lean their front office toward a direction of being a seller, buyer, or ending up standings pat.

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